We wish you all a Merry Christmas

As Christians around the world celebrate today as the day when Jesus Christ was born, in a world where bigotry and hatred seem to be on the rise, the message that he taught now seems more relevant than ever. The teachings of Jesus on love, humility and humanity are universal. They are similar to the ones shared by all the great religions of the world. The love that Christ showed for humanity, his compassion towards those who were less fortunate, and his tendency to forgive are traits that we can all learn from.

Sadly, what we are witnessing today is how the teachings of these great religions are being forgotten. In many instances, they are being misinterpreted and misused. Whereas all the great religions—Christianity included—advocate the importance of inclusivity and tolerance, today, people around the world are using their names to promote or do the opposite. That is why it is particularly important on days like today for us to remind ourselves of the true teachings of these religions, and how beneficial they could be for humanity.

In our country, we have seen intolerance towards non-dominant religions and groups increase in recent times. Given the ideals on which this country was founded, that is a travesty of immeasurable proportions. Therefore, it is time for all of us to reaffirm our commitments to increase interfaith understanding and to live with each other in peace and with mutual respect.

In line with that, it is also time for religion to be depoliticised—for the use of religion to increase hate for personal benefit to stop. We must remember that all the great religions of humanity showed us how to grow spiritually, to become better individuals, and to treat others better.

Today, let us all embody the spirit of Christmas and be united in our efforts to combat the Covid-19 pandemic by showing the best part of our humanity, extending a hand to those who need it. We wish all our Christian brothers and sisters a safe, joyous and peaceful Christmas.